The Hippies
Overview Furthur (Bus) Furthur was a school bus converted by Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters to facilitate their trip from San Francisco, CA to New York to attend the publication party for Kesey's second novel Sometimes a Great Notion in 1964. The Pranksters planned to film their adventures during the cross country tip for a film project, but the footage and audio tapes of the trip were kept private until 2011's Magic Trip documentary. Tom Wolfe used the Furthur footage and audio as a reference for his 1968 work of New Journalism The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. More The Feminine Mystique The Feminine Mystique is a book written by Betty Friedan and published in 1963. The book is considered the start of second-wave feminism by presenting the catch in the perfect housewife fantasy of 50’s. Friedan’s writing inspired women all over American to re-examine whether or or not they were truly happy with their lives and their own personal fulfilment. They were encouraged to pursue a path out of choice, of expectations set on them. Before trying to make others happy, they realized that they needed to be happy with themselves first. During the 50's, a woman's only goals were to find a husband, have his children, and tidy his house. Unless she was buying groceries or attending a garden party, the average woman spent most of her time in her home. Managing a career and running a house simultaneously was considered to be too much pressure on a woman, so all she was expected to do was cook meals and care for the kids while her husband handled the money-making. She had no boss and no work hours. She had plenty of leisure time that she could spend reading magazines or using her “allowance” (which her husband gave her) to buy herself a new dress or jewelry. To most Americans, the life of a housewife sounded like a fantasy. That is where Friedan’s observations came into play. In the later 1950’s, she started noticing a certain behavioural pattern of these happy housewives that she called “The Problem That Has No Name.” These women experienced episodes of depression and hysteria that came from the lack of fulfillment in their lives, as their whole existence was centered around whether or not their husband was pleased and their house was clean. They had no life or interests or ambitions. It was as if they weren’t even a person. As one woman interviewed by Friedan stated, “I begin to feel that I have no personality. I’m a server of food and putter-on of pants and a bedmaker, somebody to be called on when you want something. But who am I?” Although progress was made by the suffragettes and the working women of the 40's, women still weren’t given any opportunities to choose their own path. Their husband’s and children’s needs always had to come before their own otherwise they were selfish mothers and wives. They weren’t treated like people, they were household appliances and decorations. Although the book didn’t blow up immediately, it was able to gain some positive reactions from its readers. Its publication happened during the four-month New York City newspaper strike, but it still gained success without newspaper advertising. Excerpts of the book were printed in magazines like McCall and the Ladies Home Journal, which put together had thirty-six million readers. Thanks to its success, the Feminine Mystique was one of the few books at the time to get a book tour as a method of promotion. It sold three million copies in its first three years of print and spent six weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Many women identified with Friedan’s writing, and like her, wanted to change the culture they lived in so that they would be viewed as people in an equal playing field. While the Feminine Mystique continues to be a celebrated work in feminist history, it has faced backlash both when it was first published and in the present. Its first critics thought that she and the women she had interviewed were being overdramatic. One claimed that Friedan was encouraging women to follow the ambitions of their choice, but she dismissed the women who chose to be housewives and enjoyed it. A woman could choose her own path, unless it was the traditional path. If these women did choose to take a non-traditional path, there was no answer to how they could make it work in the long run. Friedan does not offer any suggestions on how the children or the house would be looked after while both the husband and wife were at work besides one option of hiring a nanny. The book talks more about change than about the ways to make change happen. From a contemporary viewpoint, the book can be argued as being not a feminist novel, but a white feminist (feminism that fights for only white women) novel, as the narrative does not describe an issue that all women face. It is centered around an issue that educated white middle-class married women face. The perspectives of non-white women, single mothers, queer women, homeless women, and women in the working class are not acknowledged in Friedan’s book. Despite its controversies, the Feminine Mystique still holds a place as both classic feminist literature and a major force of change. Now 55 years old, it has been printed in 20 languages. It serves as the inspiration to Kate Miller, Gloria Steinem and other feminist writers. It helped to make a cultural shift that allowed more opportunities for women and paved the path for the change yet to come. Psychedelics The hippie movement promoted the use of psychedelic drugs for expanding one's consciousness and individual freedom. Notable scholars arose such as Ken Kesey, Terence McKenna, and Timothy Leary, who controversially tested LSD on his students. The famous works they produced, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Food of the Gods, and The Psychedelic Experience introduced the public to psychedelic substances and normalized it amongst the hippie community. Psychedelic Rock Psychedelic rock is generally considered to have begun around the time the Beatles first started experimenting with marijuana and LSD. Not long after the Revolver was released, many others were following in the footsteps of the Beatles, experimenting with new sounds. Soon came The Byrds, Grateful Dead, and not long after in 1968 - the Jimi Hendrix Experienced was released. It would be known as one of the most well-known albums to kickstart psychedelic rock. Even Bob Dylan was incorporated into the psychedelic rock movement due to his syntax and lyrical talent. Psychedelic rock is often characterized as being able to go from the most attached, earthbound feeling, to suddenly being in the skies and space. __FORCETOC__